Multiple choice testing has been introduced as an assessment instrument in almost all educational systems during the past twenty years. A growing body of research seems to indicate that tests structured to a multiple choice format favour males. In the ACT, Queensland and Western Australia, a multiple choice examination known as ASAT was used to moderate student scores. Using data from the 1989 ASAT Paper 1, as well as data from the ACT Year 12 cohort of that year, an investigation was made of the items in the ASAT paper. This investigation attempted to identify specific types of questions that enabled males, on average, to perform better than females. Questions, which had a statistically significant difference between the results of males and females, were examined further. An ASAT unit was given to students to complete and their answers to a questionnaire concerning the unit were taped and analysed. The study found that males performed better, on average, than females on the 1989 ASAT Paper 1. The mean difference in the quantitative questions was much greater than in the verbal questions. A number of factors appear to contribute to the difference in performance between males and females. A statistically significant number of females study Mathematics at a lower level, which appears to contribute to females lower quantatitive scores. Females seem to be considerably more anxious about taking tests and this anxiety remains throughout a multiple choice test. Females lack confidence in their ability to achieve in tests and are tentative about "risktaking" which is an element of multiple choice tests. The language of the test and male oriented content may contribute to females' negative performance in multiple choice testing.

The purposes of this study were to investigate the impact of the following factors on the decline of average SAT scores between 1952 and 1981: (1) changes in composition of population of the SAT takers after 1963, (2) aggregate technological and social changes related to the scores in the years following 1970, and (3) selected economic factors in the period 1952 through 1981. Two models were used to test the hypotheses of this study. The dependent variables of each model were the SAT Verbal and Math scores. The independent variables of the study were two intervention variables that represented changes following 1963 and after 1970. Also, three economic variables were subjected to principal component analysis. These were changes in unemployment, Consumer Price Index (CPI), and real Gross National Product (GNP). The results were two factors: (1) Economic Instability (combination of unemployment and CPI), and (2) Economic Growth. These two factors were used as independent variables in addition to the interventions of 1963 and 1970. The interaction of these variables were calculated. The Box-Jenkins technique was used to generate residuals which were white noise (free from the confounding of autoregression, moving average, and trend or stochastic drift). Finally, hierarchical multilinear regression technique was used to analyze the white noise data of the study.

A mini-dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, 2004. / This study investigates the validity of the General Scholastic Aptitude Test as a tool for predicting academic success for first year Information Technology (IT) students. Secondly it seeks to establish if it is an equally good predictor for the various racial groups in South Africa. Thirdly it investigates it’s usefulness as a predictor for the different gender groups. The final aim is to establish whether the GSAT correlates with the Swedish Rating (SR) and English language ability in terms of predicting academic success for first year IT students. The student group that served as the sample was the first year IT student group over the three year peroid from 2000 to 2002 at the Port Elizabeth (PE) Technikon. The study found that there was a weak link between GSAT and academic success across the entire sample. It however proved not to be an equally good predictor across all the racial groups, where it proved to be a far more useful tool for white students than for students from the other racial groups. Insofar as the gender groups were concerned it appeared to have some predictive power across the whole sample but not necessarily equally for the different gender and racial groups. There appeared to be a positive correlation between GSAT and Swedish Rating but not between GSAT and English language ability. From this study it appears that the GSAT has some merit in predicting academic success, although with differing rates of usefulness across different demographic groupings in South Africa. In addition there are many other factors that may militate against academic success in a student’s life which may hinder the usefulness of the GSAT as a predictive tool. If such assessments are to be used it would seem that they should be used very carefully, that factors reducing the chances of academic success need to be identified, and that institutions ensure that programmes are in place to empower students to maximize their potential.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contribution to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English Language Arts (ELA) of five variables: Type of Community (Urban or Suburban), Gender, Race, Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) Verbal, and PSAT Writing. MCAS is a criterion-referenced examination administered to students at various grade levels to determine their knowledge of approved curriculum. As of 2003, students must pass the mathematics and English language arts sections in order to receive a diploma. Data for the study was gathered from three urban and four suburban school districts in Massachusetts. Data about 914 students was collected from Summer 2001 - Winter 2002. Multiple regression statistical analysis was used to examine the collective and separate contributions of five independent variables; gender, race, type of community (urban or suburban), score on the verbal subtest of the PSAT, and score on the writing subtest to the findings on the dependent variab le - tenth grade language arts achievement on the MCAS. Results of the statistical analyses showed a strong relationship between MCASELA and the five independent variables, with most of the relationship attributable to the PSAT Verbal test results. Three other variables combined - PSAT Writing, Type of Community, and Gender - accounted for just 4% of the additional variance. Step-wise multiple regression analysis indicated that exclusion of Race did not diminish predictiveness, and Gender added very little to predictiveness. PSAT Verbal, PSAT Writing, and Type of Community were the principal contributions to variation in MCAS-ELA in the study. The four null hypotheses and results follow: There is no significant relationship between the dependent variable - MCAS-ELA -- and the independent variables -- Type of Community, Gender, Race, PSA T Verbal, and PSAT Writing - rejected. There is no significant relationship between each independent variable and each of the other independent variables - rejected. There is no significant relationship between the dependent variable and the other variables taken together - rejected. There is no significant additional vanance m MCAS - ELA accou nted for by an independent variable after other variable (s) - responsible for greater contributions to variance - (have) accounted for as much of the variance as possible - accepted. / 2031-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine if differences exist between selected groups of male and female Anglo-American and Latin-American students with respect to scholastic aptitude as measured by the American College Test, temperament traits as measured by the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey, and beliefs in traditional values as measured by the Inventory of Beliefs.

The problem of this study was to determine the value of Scholastic Aptitude Test scores and high school percentile rank for predicting a student's achievement in American history at North Texas State University. The study also sought to determine what, if any, difference existed between male and female students, students of different ethnic backgrounds, and students of different semester classification with respect to learning achievement in American history.

本研究之主要目的係探討高中生學習策略、學業興趣與學業性向對英文科及數學科學業成就的影響，並根據研究結果，提出具體建議供學習輔導之參考。 　　本研究採分層隨機抽樣方式抽取國立師大附中、臺北市立中山女中、成功高中、景美女中、中正高中、復興高中、臺灣省立板橋高中、新莊高中等八所臺北區公立高中高一共十五班學生為研究對象，總計有效樣本數為509人。所用研究工具計有「中小學學習及讀書策略量表」、「高中生英文及數學科學習興趣問卷」及「高中系列學業性向測驗」等。研究所得資料，以皮爾遜積差相關、單因子多變量變異數分析、二因子多變量變異數分析、多元迴歸分析、區別分析等統計方法進行處理。 　　綜合本研究結果如下： 　　一、高中生學習策略、學業興趣與學業性向的情形 　　1.高中學生不論在學習策略、學業興趣或學業性向之得分，均接近常態分配，而多數學生在學習策略的運用不盡理想，尤以時間管理為最；在英文科學習興趣問卷之得分較偏向高分，數學科學習興趣問卷之得分則偏向低分；高中系列學業性向測驗的得分較集中在高分，且語文推理略高於數量比較。 　　2.高中男女學生在學習策略上有差異，男生在自我效能、批判思考與導向學習的策略運用優於女生，在考試焦慮方面也高於女生，其他學習策略則沒有差異。 　　3.高中男女學生在英文科與數學科學習興趣上有差異，女生在英文內容與應用、欣賞與閱讀英文作品的興趣高於男生，在英文的深究興趣方面，則男女生沒有顯著的不同；男生在數學課程內容、數學思考方式與工作的興趣高於女生，在數學解題方式的興趣方面，則男女生沒有顯著的不同。 　　4.高中男女學生在學業性向上有顯著差異，在語文推理方面女生優於男生，在數量比較方面則男生優於女生。 　　二、學習策略與學業成就之關係 　　1.英文科學業成就與教育評價、時間管理、努力與堅持、專心等學習策略達顯著正相關，與批判思考的學習策略則呈顯著負相關。 　　2.數學科學業成就與重複溫習、監控策略、調整策略、時間管理、努力與堅持、專心、社會互動等學習策略達顯著正相關。 　　3.影響英文科與數學科學業成就的學習策略不同，監控、調整等後設認知策略與數學科學業成就有關連。 　　4.學習策略中時間管理、努力與堅持、專心的運用，影響英文科高、低學業成就，且高分組均優於低分組。 　　5.學習策略中內在酬賞、監控策略、調整策略、時間管理、努力與堅持、專心的運用，影響數學科高、低學業成就，除內在酬賞是高分組優於中分組外，均是高分組優於低分組。 　　6.英文科、數學科學業成就之高低不受性別因素之影響而在學習策略上有所差異。 　　7.學習策略對數學科學業成就的預測力略高於英文科，然而對二者的預測力均相當有限(8.37>6.29%)。 　　三、學業與趣與學業成就之關係 　　1.在英文科學習興趣中，英文內容與應用、欣賞與閱讀英文作品及英文興趣總分均和英文科學業成就達顯著正相關；數學科學習興趣三個因素（數學課程內容、數學思考方式與工作、數學解題方式）與數學科學業成就的相關，都達.01的顯著水準。 　　2.英文科高、低學業成就組在英文內容與應用的興趣及欣賞與閱讀英文作品的興趣方面，高分組高於低分組，且英文科學業成就之高低不受性別因素之影響而在英文科學習興趣上有所差異。 　　3.數學科高、低學業成就組在數學課程內容、數學思考方式與工作及數學解題方式的興趣均是高分組高於低分組，且數學科學業成就之高低受性別影響，除數學科學業成就高分組中女生在數學解題方式的興趣高於男生外，其餘均是男生高於女生。 　　4.英文科學習興趣，能預測英文科學業成就的12.64%；數學科學習興趣，能預測數學科學業成就的12.81%。 　　四、學業性向與學業成就之關係 　　1.英文科學業成就不受學業性向影響，數學科學業成就受數量比較學業性向影響，數量比較得分愈高，數學科學業成就愈高。 　　2.學業性向不是預測英文科學業成就的主要因素，語文推理、數量比較，兩者能預測數學科學業成就的12.47%。 　　五、學習策略、學業興趣、學業性向對學業成就的預測 　　1.對英文科學業成就的預測力，英文科學習興趣高於學習策略；對數學科學業成就的預測力，數學科學習興趣高於學業性向，學業性向高於學習策略。 　　2.英文科學習興趣、學習策略可顯著區分英文科學業成就的高分組與低分組；數學科學習興趣、學業性向、學習策略可顯著區分數學科學業成就的高分組與低分組。 　　最後，根據研究結果，提出在教育與輔導及未來研究方面的相關建議。

This dissertation is focussing on students’ experiences of assessments, which means that the assessments are related to studying. The assessments particularly investigated are the main types of assessments used in the application and selection for higher education in Sweden – the grading in schools on secondary level, and the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT). The literature review is an analysis of previous knowledge, resulting in a model of orientations to studying. The empirical investigation consists of interviews with 100 students in upper secondary school, municipal adult education and folk high schools. The interviews are analysed with a phenomenographic approach, and the analysis results in categories describing ways of experiencing what it means to study, ways of experiencing the grades, and the SweSAT. In addition to this, the analysis gives a description of relations between components within categories, relations between categories, and relations between phenomena. The main patterns in the students’ experiences of the assessments are the following: The different categories, describing the experiences of the assessments per se, are focussing on assessment of performance, assessment of personal qualities (including developed knowledge), or uncertainty in relation to the assessment. There are four main aspects of the students’ experiences of the value of assessments, i.e., the relation to future plans, the relation to the student’s personal context, the possibility to influence your result, and the relation to other assessments used in the selection. The final result of the empirical investigation is a reconstructed model of five orientations to studying, where the empirical results are integrated with previous knowledge. The five categories are the knowledge orientation, the duty orientation, the participation orientation, the qualification orientation, and the resistance orientation. These orientations are also described as adaptive and/or non-adaptive in relation to the demands of the education. A further analysis in relation to three social science perspectives shows how assessments can contribute to the colonization of the educational lifeworld, how assessments can be seen as instruments of discipline, and how assessments can be seen as disembedding mechanisms.

Recent political and social changes in South Africa have created the need for culture-fair tests for cross-cultural measurement of cognitive ability. This need has been highlighted by the professional, legal and research communities. For cognitive assessment, dynamic assessment is more equitable because it involves a test-train-retest procedure, which shows what performance levels individuals are able to attain when relevant training is provided. Following Binet’s thinking, dynamic assessment aims to identify those individuals who are likely to benefit from additional training. The theoretical basis for learning potential assessment is Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development. This thesis describes the development, standardisation and evaluation of the Learning Potential Computerised Adaptive Test (LPCAT), for measuring learning potential in the culturally diverse South African population by means of nonverbal figural items. In accordance with Vygotsky’s view, learning potential is defined as a combination of present performance and the extent to which performance is increased after relevant training. This definition allows for comparison of individuals at different levels of initial performance and with different measures of improvement. Computerised adaptive testing based on item response theory, as used in the LPCAT, is uniquely suitable for increasing both measurement accuracy and testing efficiency of dynamic testing, two aspects that have been identified as problematic. The LPCAT pretest and the post-test are two separate adaptive tests, hence eliminating the role of memory in post-test performance. Several multicultural groups were used for item analysis and test validation. The results support the LPCAT as a culture-fair measure of learning potential in the nonverbal general reasoning domain. For examinees with a wide range of ability levels, LPCAT scores correlate strongly with academic performance. For African examinees, poor proficiency in English (the language of teaching) hampers academic performance. The LPCAT ensures the equitable measurement of learning potential, independent of language proficiency and prior scholastic learning and can be used to help select candidates for further training or developmental opportunities. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Beginning with Plato's expulsion of the poets in the Republic, this dissertation ' looks at the often hostile, yet also symbiotic, relationship between·poetry and philosophy. Aristotle's 'response' to Plato is regarded as a significant origin of literary theory. Nietzsche's critique of Western philosophy as being an attempt to suppress its own metaphoricity, leads to a revaluation of truth and consequently of the privileging of philosophy over poetry. Post-structuralism sometimes overemphasizes this constitutive force of metaphoricity, at the expense of conceptual modes. However, Derrida's notion of philosophy as play retains a balance between concept and metaphor: there is no attempt to transcendentally ground philosophy, but neither is it reduced to a merely metaphorical discourse. Finally, Wittgenstein's notion of meaning as determined by use can help us distinguish pragmatically between poetry and philosophy by looking at the contexts in which they function. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)